Three Shades of Trouble

Alice knew she didn't always make the best choices, but when three of those "choices" all show up one day at her bookstore, her reality comes crashing down, again.

Starting with Tommy,

​Tommy rolled into town on a beat-up motorcycle during junior year. He was the foster kid with a permanent chip on his shoulder and a leather jacket that smelled like cigarettes and rain. He didn't just break rules; he didn't acknowledge they existed. He was Alice's first everything, but he disappeared the night of graduation, leaving her with a broken heart and a thirst for adrenaline she's been trying to suppress ever since.

Which lead to Miguel,

​In college, Alice tried to be "good," until she met Miguel. He was charming, sophisticated, and ran the campus's underground economy. He didn't just sell drugs; he sold an experience. He pulled Alice into a world of late-night parties and high-speed chases. It ended when the law caught up to him-Alice barely escaped charges, but the trauma made her flee to the safety of her bookstore.

Where she landed with Jake,

​Jake was the "safe" choice-or so she thought. The wealthy son of a real estate mogul, he used his father's connections to help Alice secure the lease for her shop. But Jake liked control. While building her coffee bar, the "dirty work" wasn't just construction; it was money laundering through her business. Their "steamy" sessions on the espresso machine were fueled by the power dynamic he held over her.

It's not just her heart on the line-it's her livelihood and her freedom.